South Carolina Dominates Texas 74-57 to Earn Spot in National Championship Game
South Carolina is heading to the national title game after a commanding 74-57 win over Texas on Friday. Here’s what stood out in the Gamecocks’ big victory:
– Coming out of the Birmingham weekend, Joyce Edwards, Te-Hina Paopao, and Tessa Johnson were players Head Coach Dawn Staley hoped to see step up. And on Friday, they delivered.
Paopao led the charge with 14 points, while Edwards came close to a triple-double, contributing 13 points, 11 rebounds, and six assists. Johnson added nine points and made a critical impact by drawing two key fouls on Madison Booker, forcing the Texas star to the bench early.
Speaking to all three postgame, a shared theme emerged: they stayed composed, trusted their skills, and let the game come to them.
– Another standout performance came from Maryam Dauda. After early foul trouble for Chloe Kitts and Sania Feagin, Staley inserted Dauda hoping to buy a few minutes. Instead, Dauda rose to the occasion, logging a season-high 16 minutes and finishing with four points and three rebounds—matching Kyla Oldacre’s stat line and giving the Gamecocks a significant boost.
– Raven Johnson may have only scored two points and dished out three assists, but her six rebounds were crucial. Facing Texas’ frontcourt of 6’6″ Oldacre and 6’4″ Taylor Jones, clean boards were rare, making hustle plays and extra effort essential.
The entire team embraced the challenge, especially Johnson, who earned praise from both Feagin and Adhel Tac for her tenacity on the glass.
“The ball just seemed to fall in my hands,” Johnson said after the game.
